It's Tuesday

It's Tuesday. Here's what's happening....

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Today is August 2nd, the 214th day of 2011. There are 151 days left in the year.

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Islanders bid for new arena defeated at polls.

With little turnover, Bruins again a Cup favorite.

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Today's Birthdays: Actor Butch Patrick is 58 (Eddie on The Munsters) ... Actress Mary-Louise Parker is 47 (Weeds) ... Director-actor Kevin Smith is 41 (Clerks, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back) ... Actor Edward Furlong is 34 (American History X, John Connor in Terminator 2).

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U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2011 Announced

Five-Member Class Includes Chelios, Emrick, Snider, Suter and Tkachuk

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Chris Chelios, Mike Emrick, Ed Snider, Gary Suter and Keith Tkachuk will be enshrined as the United States Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2011 it was announced today by USA Hockey. The five-member class will be formally installed into the Hall in Chicago this fall, with a date to be announced in the near future.

“It’s an extraordinary class,” said Ron DeGregorio, president of USA Hockey. "The varied contributions to the landscape of hockey in our country is truly amazing and, collectively, this class has positively impacted every level of hockey."

With a professional career spanning 26 seasons, Chris Chelios is the all-time leader in games played by a defenseman in National Hockey League history (1,651). The second-round draft pick (40th overall) in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft of the Montreal Canadiens went on to win three Stanley Cups and three Norris Trophies, along with a silver medal with the U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team in Salt Lake City in 2002 and an NCAA national championship with the University of Wisconsin in 1983. Chelios played seven seasons (1983-90) in Montreal, nine in both Chicago (1991-99) and Detroit (1998-2009) and one season in Atlanta (2009-10), amassing a total of 948 points (185-763), which is 10th all-time among NHL defensemen. The Chicago, Ill., native played in 11 NHL All-Star Games, representing three different teams. Additionally, Chelios was a staple in international hockey for more than three decades. He is one of only two male players to represent the United States at four Olympic Winter Games (1984, 1998, 2002, 2006) and captained his final three Olympic squads. He also helped the U.S. defeat Canada to win the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, and represented his country a total of 10 times on the international stage.

One of the most recognizable voices in sports, Mike “Doc” Emrick has been behind the microphone for some of the most memorable games in modern hockey history. In his nearly 40 years as a play-by-play announcer, Emrick has called 13 Stanley Cup Finals as the lead national announcer on NBC, Versus, FOX and ESPN and also 23 game sevens in NHL playoff action. His voice was also heard during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games gold-medal men's hockey contest, which was the most watched hockey game in America in 30 years. A 2008 recipient of the Hockey Hall of Fame's Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for outstanding contributions to hockey broadcasting, Emrick has called NHL games for all major networks, while also serving as the voice of the New Jersey Devils from 1993-2011. Emrick has received numerous honors, including a national Emmy Award for “Outstanding Sports Personality – Play by Play” in 2011, the Lester Patrick Trophy in 2004, as well as seven local Emmy Awards. A native of La Fontaine, Ind., he has served as vice president of the NHL Broadcaster’s Association since 1985 and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee.

Ed Snider's contribution to the success of hockey in Philadelphia and the Atlantic region of the United States is immeasurable. In 1966, the founder and current owner of the Philadelphia Flyers made a successful bid for the team when the NHL made its first expansion, and has since turned the organization into one of the most successful franchises in the league. His commitment to advancing the game at the amateur level is evidenced in many ways, including in 2005 when he founded the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation to provide unprivileged children in the Philadelphia area with an opportunity to learn to play hockey at local rinks. In 2008, the Snider Hockey Foundation rescued three of the five Philadelphia inner-city ice-skating rinks that had been targeted for closure by funding and operating them for the city. The Foundation now funds and administers programming in all five city rinks. Snider, a native of Washington, D.C., was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1985. He is the current chairman of Comcast Spectacor.

Gary Suter’s 17-year NHL career included 844 points (203-641) in 1,145 games played after being drafted by the Calgary Flames in the ninth round (180th overall) of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. Suter made an immediate impact with the Flames, tallying 68 points (18-50) en route to winning the Calder Trophy in 1986, which marked the first time an American-born player was named the NHL’s top rookie. A staple on the Calgary blue line for 10 seasons, Suter set a career-high in assists (70) and points (91) in the 1987-88 season and helped the Flames to the franchise’s only Stanley Cup a year later. Suter spent five seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks (1993-98) and four years with the San Jose Sharks (1998-02) before retiring. On the international stage, Suter earned a silver medal with the U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. He also helped he United States capture the first-ever World Cup of Hockey crown in 1996. In all, the Madison, Wis., native represented the United States in eight international events. Suter, who played college hockey at the University of Wisconsin (1983-85), ranks fourth in NHL history in career points by an American defenseman.

After being drafted 19th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft, Keith Tkachuk went on to play 19 seasons in the NHL and is one of only four American-born players to score 500 career NHL goals. All total, the forward appeared in 1,201 games and recorded 1,065 points (538-527). Tkachuk made his NHL debut at the age of 19 and was named captain of the Jets by his second season with the team. The Melrose, Mass., native broke the 50-goal barrier in back-to-back seasons (1995-97) in the midst of Winnipeg’s relocation to Phoenix. Tkachuk recorded a career-high and NHL-leading 52 goals during the 1996-97 campaign with Phoenix, which also marked the first time an American-born player led the NHL in goals. After 10 years with the Winnipeg/Phoenix organization, Tkachuk was traded to St. Louis, where he would eventually retire after nine seasons (2000-10) with the organization. His stay in St. Louis was interrputed by a brief stint with Atlanta late in the 2006-07 campaign. A five-time NHL All-Star and four-time Olympian (1992, 1998, 2002, 2006), Tkachuk, who played college hockey at Boston University (1990-91), represented his country a total of eight times, including earning a silver medal at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City and helping the U.S. win the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.

NOTES: The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame elected its first class in 1973. To date, there are 148 enshrined members in the Hall. For information on the members of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, visit the Hall's official web site at USHockeyHallofFame.com … U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame inductees are chosen on the basis of extraordinary contribution to the sport of hockey in the United States ... The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum, located in Eveleth, Minn., is open daily. For hours of operation, visit USHockeyHallMuseum.com or call 800-443-7825.

2011-12 U.S. National Sled Hockey Teams Announced

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Rosters for both the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team and U.S. National Developmental Sled Hockey Team were announced today by USA Hockey.

The 2011-12 U.S. National Sled Hockey Team features 15 returning players from last year's squad and 11 players who won the gold medal with the U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C.

The roster was selected following tryouts held in Rochester, N.Y., last month. Team USA will skate at several international events during the course of the year leading up to the 2011 International Paralympic Committee Ice Sledge Hockey World Championship next April in Hamar, Norway.

"For the first time seeing this pool of players, I was extremely impressed," said Jeff Sauer, who was named head coach of the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team last month. "We've put together a strong group of players that bodes well for Norway while also showing promise for continued development towards the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia."

Among the returnees from last year's U.S. National Sled Hockey Team are goalies Steve Cash (Overland, Mo.) and Jen Yung Lee (San Antonio, Texas); defensemen Tyler Carron (Berthoud, Colo.), Taylor Chace (Hampton Falls, N.H.), Jimmy Connelly (Galloway, N.J.), Nikko Landeros (Berthoud, Colo.) and Josh Pauls (South Plainfield, N.J.); and forwards Tim Jones (Mt. Ephraim, N.J.), Taylor Lipsett (Richardson, Texas), Daniel McCoy (Cheswick, Pa.), Kevin McKee (Davenport, Iowa), Adam Page (Lancaster, N.Y.), Rico Roman (Portland, Ore.), Alexi Salamone (Grand Island, N.Y.) and Greg Shaw (Park City, Utah).

Rounding out the squad will be former U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team member Brad Emmerson (Amherst, N.Y.) and Team USA newcomer Josh Sweeney (Phoenix, Ariz.). For the full roster, click here.

Meanwhile, the 17-man roster for the 2011-12 U.S. National Developmental Sled Hockey Team was also selected following the 2011 USA Hockey Sled Hockey Player Development Camp and U.S. National Sled Hockey Team tryout held in Rochester, N.Y., in July.

The roster includes seven returnees from last year's squad, including goalie Justin Kreger (Waterford, Wis.); defensemen Tyler Anderson (Jenison, Mich.), John Mollica (The Plains, Ohio) and Mason Newbold (Lockport, N.Y.); and forwards Raymond Beck (Sicklerville, N.J.), Nevin Gray (Greensburg, Pa.) and Tim Shoemaker (Lawtons, N.Y.). For the full roster, click here.

NOTES: A full 2011-12 schedule for both the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team and the U.S. National Developmental Sled Hockey Team will be announced later this summer ... The U.S. National Sled Hockey Team will pare its roster down to the IPC-madated 15 players prior to the 2012 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championship next spring.

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The Princeton Review is out with its annual list of the best colleges -- and top party schools. This year, Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, captured the top party prize.

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Still in search of the first home victory.


Pedersen: Riders take a step back in loss.

Visit the team's official website at http://www.riderville.com/.

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On DVD today: Rio;Soul Surfer (Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt, AnnaSophia Robb, Carrie Underwood); Spy Kids (Blu-ray release); Hell's Kitchen: Season 5 Raw & Uncensored; Storm Chasers Season 3.

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CFL.ca Power Rankings for Week #5.

Irving: Winnipeg did their fallen coach proud.

2011 CFL Schedule is here.

Donate to the Tony Proudfoot Fund.

Visit the leagues' official website, http://www.cfl.ca/.

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A South Carolina trooper says he found a kilogram of cocaine in a suspect's prosthetic leg, after he pulled over a vehicle for driving slow in the fast lane.

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We love our Jimmy and he loves us!

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In this new reality competition, from the producers of The Amazing Race, two civilians are given a briefcase with $100,000 in it and an hour to hide it. Two detectives then have 48 hours to find the briefcase. If the detectives find the briefcase, they keep the money. If not, the two players keep the $100,000. (I will consistently miss this show each and every time it's on. The promos make it look really dumb!)

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ST PETERSBURG -- The Tampa Bay Rays are home from their less-than-successful 4-6 road trip and will open up a ten-game home stand tonight with a game against the Toronto Blue Jays. David Price will start for the Rays and Ricky Romero for the Jays. First pitch is set for 7:10pm EDT. And, as always, an embarrassingly significant number of good seats are still available.

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Leonardo DiCaprio and Johnny Depp topped the latest list of Forbes magazine's highest-earning actors. DiCaprio and Depp earned $77 million and $50 million respectively.

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SAN FRANCISCO -- While enduring a lengthy list of injuries and soldiering through their season-long offensive struggles, the Giants have been able to take solace in one fact: They were in first place.

After Monday night's 5-2 loss to the D-backs in AT&T Park, the Giants are now dangerously close to losing that distinction, as their lead in the National League West dwindled to just one game while Arizona clearly showed it wasn't going to go sit back and let the Giants into the playoffs without a fight.

"I never doubted that. They're a good club, and they've had a nice year," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "It's going to be a battle. I expected it to go down to the wire, to be honest."

Read the rest here.

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August is Cataract Awareness Month.

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Today in Elvis History:

1956 - "Life" magazine contained an article entitled "Elvis Presley...He Can't Be...But He Is." The article reported that Elvis had grossed $6 million in record sales and that he was receiving 3,000 fan letters a week.

1957 - The Official UK Elvis Presley fan club was launched.

1958 - The Elvis Presley single "Hard-Headed Woman" hit #2 in the U.K.

1965 - Elvis Presley reported to the set of "Paradise, Hawaiian Style".

1975 - Elvis Presley's single "Today" hit #57 in the U.S.

1997 - The Elvis Presle compilation album "Platinum - A Life In Music" hit #80 in the U.S.

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August is Celery, Fennel and Cactus Month.

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Today in Beatles History:

1961 - The Beatles began their engagement as regular headliners at Liverpool's Cavern Club. They performed about 300 shows over the next two years.

1969 - Paul McCartney produced Badfinger as they recorded their song "Come and Get It."

1997 - George Harrison's record label announced that he had undergone tests for cancer.

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This is Children's Vision and Learning Month.

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Today in Sports History:

1921 - Eight White Sox players were acquitted of throwing the 1919 World Series.

1938 - Bright yellow baseballs were used in a major league baseball game between the Dodgers and the Cardinals. It was hoped that the balls would be easier to see.

1992 - Jackie Joyner took the gold medal in the heptathlon for a second consecutive time.

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August is Get Ready for Kindergarten Month.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Toronto Blue Jays 7:10pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Arizona Diamondbacks 10:15pm EDT

Wednesday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Arizona Diamondbacks 3:45pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Toronto Blue Jays 7:10pm EDT

Thursday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Toronto Blue Jays 12:10pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Philadelphia Phillies 10:15pm EDT

Friday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Oakland Athletics 7:10pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Philadelphia Phillies 10:15pm EDT

CFL Football -- Saskatchewan Roughriders at BC Lions 10:30pm EDT

Saturday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Philadelphia Phillies 4:10pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Oakland Athletics 7:10pm EDT

Nascar Nationwide Series -- U.S. Cellular 250 presented by the Enlist Weed Control System at Iowa Speedway 7:30pm EDT

Sunday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Good Sam RV Insurance 500 at Pocono Raceway 1:00pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Oakland Athletics 1:40pm EDT

IZOD Indy Car Series -- Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course 2:00pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Philadelphia Phillies 4:05pm EDT

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That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by and be sure to tell your friends about us. See you tomorrow.